Skin Organ Transplants

Though there were references to skin transplantations in the early Egyptian manuscripts dating from 2000 B.C., and the 1800s witnessed the success of such operations, it has been the advancements in the last four decades which have brought about the billion dollar business of organ transplants and created an era of "great expectations" in the minds of the public. "Of all the medical miracles of the 20th century, none enthralls us as much as organ transplantation" (Colen "Desperate Measures" 84).

Today, transplant operations include not only those of skin, but of kidneys, heart, lung, liver, and pancreas as well as bone and bone marrow, corneas and heart valves. Outside of the current research in brain or neural tissue transplant, these operations are now routine if not always successful surgical procedures. Most transplants are used in the treatment of diseases and are limite

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system called the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOB). Through the system, all transplant centers are connected and all donors and recipients are matched, based on location, tissue and blood type, body size and the urgency. The Act did not create a method for lining up additional donors, however. To deal with this growing problem, forty-five independent organizations and eighty hospital-based programs have jumped into the transplant procurement business (Long 28). They have not only generated a growth boom but have also stimulated a number of socioeconomic and ethical dilemmas involving procurement methods, funding and the futuristic research now underway. First, while most transplant recipients live better today than decade ago, most do not live well. "All suffer the side effects of toxic drugs used to keep rejection at bay. All are easy marks for marauding microorganisms" (Colen "Who Deserves" 6). So, though recipients will generally agree the surgery was worth it, the system by which they were able to receive an organ is considered "crooked" by many. Society has not taken responsibility for a procurement system that is still very subjective in its approach. Colen cites examples where in some instances no one is
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Approximate Word count = 2327
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page)

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